Slickdeals Drugstore and Grocery Store Coupon Usage Rules and Guidelines

Quote from MsGal : YOU don't have to decode the coupon. We here at SD did that for you. Now it's up to YOU as where to use said coupon. And if you knowingly use a $ off with a "14" at Wags ... you already know the difference ... therefore, it is fraud. You made the choice to shop where it won't beep BECAUSE you want to use both Q's. Otherwise, just take your BOGO to WM (or wherever), and just be happy to get one item for free ... as the manufacturer intended by the coding. You can throw a dress and lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

and I do not choose to shop at Walgreens where I can use b1g1 free coupons with $2.00 off, I choose to shop at Walgreens because that is the only store that I shop at (outside of Wal-Mart for trial size stuff that doesn't have size restrictions). I like Walgreens because they do not limit and things are cheaper at WAGS than they are at Wal-Mart. You spend an awful lot of time in the Wags thread if you in fact believe that it's BETTER to shop at Wal-Mart lol.

Quote from dlw902 : No, it's not fraud. As I stated before, that is a problem between Walgreens and the manufacturer, has absolutely nothing to do with me. Just FYI, I haven't bought any gillette body wash as I didn't get any of the P&G inserts this month but I absolutely believe that YOU are off base telling me how I should use my coupons. You can interpret it however you choose but if they didnt' want them used in conjunction, it should clearly state that on the coupon. It is not the responsiblity of the user of the coupon to "interpret" what the code means. I don't understand why it's so hard to get through your head that We should NOT have to decode coupons in order to determine how to use them correctly. If they do not want them used in conjunction, it should be clearly stated on the coupon. As I said earlier, the coupon CLEARLY states that you cannot buy, trade, transfer a coupon, yet you guys find it OK to talk about Ebay and CFM so I guess EVERYONE is committing coupon fraud... All this holier than thou crap is a little ridiculous. Stop being coupon police... You have people out there who are using coupons on items that they are NOT intended for (Jaime) and what do the Manufacturers think about it? Obviously they do not care. I would not misuse a coupon as far as size restriction or items but IMO, if they do not want it used in conjunction with another coupon, it should be stated. I will NOT decode the barcode to determine that. Is it OK to use coupons such as the Tylenol Precise/Motrin PM coupon a couple months ago that was coded to go through on any item? I mean, you are telling me to decode the coupon in order to determine how to use it so I guess if I decode it, that tells me I could use it on ANYTHING.

Oh, calm down. No one is accusing YOU of anything. I used the word "you" in my previous post referring to "you", the general population.

And I can't tell YOU (yes, I do mean YOU), how to use your coupons. I can only teach you what the manufacturer intended by the coding. Knowledge is power. Choosing to shelve that knowledge and do what you want, all willy-nilly style, is (in my opinion) an abuse of power.

You don't need to defend your actions to me or anyone else on this board. You are responsible for you. But in the name of keeping things "legit" on the board, we respectfully request that it not be discussed in the weekly threads. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Quote from dlw902 : You spend an awful lot of time in the Wags thread if you in fact believe that it's BETTER to shop at Wal-Mart lol.

I have no idea what that means. I shop at WM about 1/2 dozen times a year. (If that!)

Quote from rydergal : I'm not arguing on the difference in purchase vs transaction. I know I don't have to split 4 items into four transactions just to use 4 $1./1 MQ's. All I was trying to say is that one "purchase" does not equal one "item". You can't use those terms interchangably when the purchase requires more than one item to begin with. That's why coupons say "one per purchase" instead of "one per item". But if you want to go down this road a little further, let us do so now... A $1/2 coupon requires the purchase of two items in order to use that coupon, and no other MQ can be used on that same purchase of two items, correct? Hence the wording "limit one coupon per purchase of products and quantities stated". I don't think anyone would disagree with me on this...2 items, one $1/2 q. Period. But what about that BOGO q? The coupon requires you to buy two items in order to use it...just like a $1/2 does. And the fine print will say "limit one coupon per purchase of products and quantities stated"...just like that $1/2. So shouldn't you only be allowed to use that one coupon on the pair, regardless of the coding? If we all follow just the wording, I would say yes, we should only use one. We know about coupon coding however, and SD set forth the rule that since the manufacturers have the option to code that coupon with 01 or 14, and they know what the ramifications of an 01 are, the usage can be expanded to include a $x/1 coupon when using an 01 bogo. And in case you don't know, all the rules in the wiki were written by the previous mod of the DS forum. I just compiled them all in one place. Slayers wrote them, but never wanted them all listed out in one place for easy access...why? I dunno. But when he left, I approached TR about compiling everything in one place. Rules were pulled straight from Slayers' posts all over the forum by myself, which I then sent via PM to TR. From what I understand, the list I compiled was reviewed by SD legal. So yes, everything in the wiki is an SD RULE, reviewed and approved by the mod team. As I said before, if you have a store that accepts a bogo 14 with another mq, great for you. I'm not judging your usage. But SD's rules don't allow that type of conversation here. If you want to discuss it publicly, maybe you need to find a different forum. I agree that trying to explain 01 vs 14 to someone who doesn't coupon can be awkward. But the alternative as I see it is to ban all usage of a $x/1 with any type of BOGO coupon, since that adheres more to the wording "limit one coupon per purchase of the items and quantities stated".

If that's not what you were arguing then we're on the same page. BOGO q's are different from $1/2 or $1/3 (etc.) q's though...otherwise they would be simply that. The coupon is to get you the second item free when you buy the first...hence the coupon is for the second item and if you want to (and your store's policies don't limit it) you should be allowed to use it. It is UP TO MF's to state how they want their coupons redeemed by the wording on their coupons and furthermore up to individual stores to further "elaborate" in detail how they will/will not accept coupons. After all, they are the ones accepting, submitting and getting reimbursed for them. If the MF wanted the coupon to be for BOTH items then they should've marked the coupon for $3/2 or whatever. If a store doesn't want to allow "piggybacking" (which is the appropriate term for this btw) then they should state that in their policy. It's the same for coupons that say things like save "$1.50 on milk wyb keebler cookies"...so this is a coupon for milk and if you have one for keebler cookies, you can use that too. I think it's sad that people on here are allowed to continue to point at others and accuse them of fraud, when there is NOTHING IN WRITING ANYWHERE about piggybacking or stacking coupons in this manner being fraudulent. So, just as you'd tell me to "keep it to myself"...I'd tell you the same.

Quote from dlw902 : No, it's not fraud. As I stated before, that is a problem between Walgreens and the manufacturer, has absolutely nothing to do with me. Just FYI, I haven't bought any gillette body wash as I didn't get any of the P&G inserts this month but I absolutely believe that YOU are off base telling me how I should use my coupons. You can interpret it however you choose but if they didnt' want them used in conjunction, it should clearly state that on the coupon. It is not the responsiblity of the user of the coupon to "interpret" what the code means. I don't understand why it's so hard to get through your head that We should NOT have to decode coupons in order to determine how to use them correctly. If they do not want them used in conjunction, it should be clearly stated on the coupon. As I said earlier, the coupon CLEARLY states that you cannot buy, trade, transfer a coupon, yet you guys find it OK to talk about Ebay and CFM so I guess EVERYONE is committing coupon fraud... All this holier than thou crap is a little ridiculous. Stop being coupon police... You have people out there who are using coupons on items that they are NOT intended for (Jaime) and what do the Manufacturers think about it? Obviously they do not care. I would not misuse a coupon as far as size restriction or items but IMO, if they do not want it used in conjunction with another coupon, it should be stated. I will NOT decode the barcode to determine that. Is it OK to use coupons such as the Tylenol Precise/Motrin PM coupon a couple months ago that was coded to go through on any item? I mean, you are telling me to decode the coupon in order to determine how to use it so I guess if I decode it, that tells me I could use it on ANYTHING.

Amen sista (*or bro...lol).

Quote from Supergirl9801 : If that's not what you were arguing then we're on the same page. BOGO q's are different from $1/2 or $1/3 (etc.) q's though...otherwise they would be simply that. The coupon is to get you the second item free when you buy the first...hence the coupon is for the second item and if you want to (and your store's policies don't limit it) you should be allowed to use it. It is UP TO MF's to state how they want their coupons redeemed by the wording on their coupons and furthermore up to individual stores to further "elaborate" in detail how they will/will not accept coupons. After all, they are the ones accepting, submitting and getting reimbursed for them. If the MF wanted the coupon to be for BOTH items then they should've marked the coupon for $3/2 or whatever. If a store doesn't want to allow "piggybacking" (which is the appropriate term for this btw) then they should state that in their policy. It's the same for coupons that say things like save "$1.50 on milk wyb keebler cookies"...so this is a coupon for milk and if you have one for keebler cookies, you can use that too. I think it's sad that people on here are allowed to continue to point at others and accuse them of fraud, when there is NOTHING IN WRITING ANYWHERE about piggybacking or stacking coupons in this manner being fraudulent. So, just as you'd tell me to "keep it to myself"...I'd tell you the same.

The way I see it, a BOGO q is no different than a $1/2 q. Both coupons require the purchase of two items. Otherwise, the manufacturer would just put out a coupon for a free item. The wording states you have to buy two items to use the q. The dollar value you get off the purchase really makes no difference in the wording, and allows folks that shop at different stores to get a free item, regardless of the price. A q for $3/2 might be roughly equivalent to a BOGO deal based on shelf prices at WM, but won't come close somewhere like CVS...so manufacturers put out BOGO q's so everyone can feel like they are getting something for free.

As I said twice before, if your store allows that sort of usage, good for you. However, SD's rules don't allow the conversation here. You are free to do as you choose in your own reality...you just don't get to talk about it on SD. I'm sorry, but those are the rules, and while you may disagree with them or find them to be too arbitrary for your taste, that's just the way it is. Again, I'm NOT judging...I'm just telling you that it can't be discussed here as SD says this is improper, per the rules that have been established.

The only issue is that regardless of whether or not you agree with them, SD has rules.

Quote from MsGal : Oh, calm down. No one is accusing YOU of anything. I used the word "you" in my previous post referring to "you", the general population. And I can't tell YOU (yes, I do mean YOU), how to use your coupons. I can only teach you what the manufacturer intended by the coding. Knowledge is power. Choosing to shelve that knowledge and do what you want, all willy-nilly style, is (in my opinion) an abuse of power. You don't need to defend your actions to me or anyone else on this board. You are responsible for you. But in the name of keeping things "legit" on the board, we respectfully request that it not be discussed in the weekly threads. I don't think that's too much to ask. I have no idea what that means. I shop at WM about 1/2 dozen times a year. (If that!)

If you believe that this should not be discussed on the board, then why do you feel that it's OK to discuss the selling of coupons on this board??? It's in the FINE print that you cannot do that... using the $2/1 is not as clear that you're not supposed to use it with a b1g1 free, but it CLEARLY states that the coupons can't be auctioned or transferred...so yet again, why is this OK? The "14" to "01" argument is something that you would have to do research on in order to know that it shouldn't be used, while it CLEARLY states on every coupon that you cannot buy coupons!

Quote from rydergal : The way I see it, a BOGO q is no different than a $1/2 q. Both coupons require the purchase of two items. Otherwise, the manufacturer would just put out a coupon for a free item. The wording states you have to buy two items to use the q. The dollar value you get off the purchase really makes no difference in the wording, and allows folks that shop at different stores to get a free item, regardless of the price. A q for $3/2 might be roughly equivalent to a BOGO deal based on shelf prices at WM, but won't come close somewhere like CVS...so manufacturers put out BOGO q's so everyone can feel like they are getting something for free. As I said twice before, if your store allows that sort of usage, good for you. However, SD's rules don't allow the conversation here. You are free to do as you choose in your own reality...you just don't get to talk about it on SD. I'm sorry, but those are the rules, and while you may disagree with them or find them to be too arbitrary for your taste, that's just the way it is. Again, I'm NOT judging...I'm just telling you that it can't be discussed here as SD says this is improper, per the rules that have been established. The only issue is that regardless of whether or not you agree with them, SD has rules.

not exactly... according to everyone on here, if it is an "01" then you can use it with another coupon... so it's not the same as a $1/2 or something like that...

Quote from rydergal : The way I see it, a BOGO q is no different than a $1/2 q. Both coupons require the purchase of two items. Otherwise, the manufacturer would just put out a coupon for a free item. The wording states you have to buy two items to use the q. The dollar value you get off the purchase really makes no difference in the wording, and allows folks that shop at different stores to get a free item, regardless of the price. A q for $3/2 might be roughly equivalent to a BOGO deal based on shelf prices at WM, but won't come close somewhere like CVS...so manufacturers put out BOGO q's so everyone can feel like they are getting something for free. As I said twice before, if your store allows that sort of usage, good for you. However, SD's rules don't allow the conversation here. You are free to do as you choose in your own reality...you just don't get to talk about it on SD. I'm sorry, but those are the rules, and while you may disagree with them or find them to be too arbitrary for your taste, that's just the way it is. Again, I'm NOT judging...I'm just telling you that it can't be discussed here as SD says this is improper, per the rules that have been established. The only issue is that regardless of whether or not you agree with them, SD has rules.

Why is it OK to discuss the selling and buying of coupons?????? "SD" should be more concerned with that than being concerned with trying to figure out how to decode a stupid coupon.

Quote from Supergirl9801 : Amen sista (*or bro...lol).

I'm a bro, haha.

Quote from dlw902 : If you believe that this should not be discussed on the board, then why do you feel that it's OK to discuss the selling of coupons on this board??? It's in the FINE print that you cannot do that... using the $2/1 is not as clear that you're not supposed to use it with a b1g1 free, but it CLEARLY states that the coupons can't be auctioned or transferred...so yet again, why is this OK? The "14" to "01" argument is something that you would have to do research on in order to know that it shouldn't be used, while it CLEARLY states on every coupon that you cannot buy coupons!

FTR, I do NOT sell coupons. I do however, buy coupons. Not often though; I would rather trade for them.

Whether the coupon is bought or sold does not defraud the store or the manufacturer in any way. It is the manner in which that coupon is redeemed that determines whether or not the store/manufacturer has been defrauded.

Actually, per a PM from TR the "wiki" are "guidelines" not SD RULES...the SD RULES are laid out above the wiki and written by TR himself. Maybe he'll hop on here and bring some clarification. I came to this board to get away from others on another board :ahem HCW ahem: who felt the need to "police" everyone and make up their own rules about MF's "intentions". If it were their intent I am sure by NOW they would've caught on to their coupons being used in manners they didn't "intend" and change the wording for further clarification (like P&G did).

Quote from Supergirl9801 : Actually, per a PM from TR the "wiki" are "guidelines" not SD RULES...the SD RULES are laid out above the wiki and written by TR himself. Maybe he'll hop on here and bring some clarification. I came to this board to get away from others on another board :ahem HCW ahem: who felt the need to "police" everyone and make up their own rules about MF's "intentions". If it were their intent I am sure by NOW they would've caught on to their coupons being used in manners they didn't "intend" and change the wording for further clarification (like P&G did).

So you have been here for almost two years and are just now starting to complain about 01 v 14?

We're not here to police how you conduct yourself in public...but SD has set forth rules of conduct on the boards. Do whatever you want to when you go to the store, but have a little tact about anything SD doesn't condone when you post. If you don't like the rules, you are free to leave.

And I say "guidelines" vs "rules" boils down to nothing but semantics anyways. TR created the wiki and posted the "guidelines" himself...

Quote from Supergirl9801 : If it were their intent I am sure by NOW they would've caught on to their coupons being used in manners they didn't "intend" and change the wording for further clarification (like P&G did).

Actually, ALL coupons will change this year to the new GS1 Databar coding and wording won't really matter. If a coupon beeps at the register, ninety-nine percent of consumers won't have a clue as to why. They will just be denied use and that will be that.

In the meantime, I would rather see a Slickdeals that prods it's users to teach others how to coupon responsibly than one that just says "aw hell, post whatever you want, we don't care."

Okay, I think it's time for some clarification. I've been contacted by numerous users about our coupon rules and how we will enforce them, etc. But first, we need to clarify a few things.

1. The only 'rules' that will be enforced by Slickdeals moderators are those that are posted by Slickdeals moderators in official threads or those that are written into our Terms of Service and Slickdeals Rules.

2. The coupon Guidelines wiki is user generated as a way to help others learn how to use coupons ethically as well as for maximum benefit. The guidelines in this wiki are not moderator enforceable in this forum. They are exactly what they say: guidelines.

Now, I've been following this debate for a while and I've answered a few of you privately via PM, but here's the deal. As is mentioned more than a few times in the guidelines wiki, the wording on the coupon is of utmost importance. The wording is what we have to go by, and what we use to determine what is and is not 'fraud'. Posting about using a coupon for sausage links in a scenario to purchase sausage patties will be addressed. However, expecting a user to decode a coupon above and beyond the wording printed on it is quite excessive and beyond the scope of the duties for the moderators of this forum when it comes to enforcement.

As for the barcodes, a member said to me the other day that "Cashiers don't get it, managers don't even get it. Nobody gets that there is a difference and special coding set up there - except us smarty pants who know that you can combine a coupon with an 01 B1G1 and not with an 14 B1G1." As I told that user, this is the key right here. Nobody gets it, save a select few. This is why we shouldn't delete such posts here, either. This is also the very reason behind the existence of the coupon usage guide, to be used to help new users understand how to use coupons more effectively, ethically, and for greater returns.

By deleting posts discussing 01 vs. 14 usage as was done in the past, it did two things. 1. It did not foster a spirit of discussion and learning with new users, because 2. it created a hostile environment for new users when their posts were deleted and they received warnings for something that the overwhelming vast majority of them didn't even understand in the first place.

Another member wrote to me, "I realize there's an influx of new couponers since that dreadful show that shall not be named first aired, but I don't think it means regular members of this board should start being allowed to "police" everyone and call out people to be frauds. Coupons should be enforced as they are written and as the stores they are being redeemed at allow. Nothing more. We as couponers should not be expected to learn how to "decode barcodes" and such. Besides...doing that is what leads people to learn how to use them in fraudulent ways to begin with. If a store of MF doesn't want their coupons used in a certain way it should be spelled out on the coupon and in the stores policies."

This person is essentially correct. As I stated back in April, SD mods will not be enforcing store policy as to coupon acceptance. Too many stores have too varying policies, and quite frankly, those stores are not paying us to be their police. It does not serve our best interest to do so for free, either, as we simply do not have the manpower or training to do so. Additionally, as is written multiple times in the coupon usage guidelines wiki and as SD has been doing for years, coupon wording is what is important. What is written on the coupons is what we can enforce. What is written in the coupon rules is what we will enforce as SD moderators.

Quote from rydergal : So you have been here for almost two years and are just now starting to complain about 01 v 14? We're not here to police how you conduct yourself in public...but SD has set forth rules of conduct on the boards. Do whatever you want to when you go to the store, but have a little tact about anything SD doesn't condone when you post. If you don't like the rules, you are free to leave. And I say "guidelines" vs "rules" boils down to nothing but semantics anyways. TR created the wiki and posted the "guidelines" himself...

Well this thread has only been here since April of this year and only within the last couple weeks have I seen such an increase of the "holier than thou" mentality several seem to have come down with. Others have complained about it too. SD has strictly said they will not be "policing" the boards and enforcing "store policies", so as much as you may not like me or anyone else questioning your "rules", I don't like (as do many others) being morally "policed" by those who THINK they know all. You too are free to leave as well

Quote from The Raddish : Okay, I think it's time for some clarification. I've been contacted by numerous users about our coupon rules and how we will enforce them, etc. But first, we need to clarify a few things. 1. The only 'rules' that will be enforced by Slickdeals moderators are those that are posted by Slickdeals moderators in official threads or those that are written into our Terms of Service and Slickdeals Rules. 2. The coupon Guidelines wiki is user generated as a way to help others learn how to use coupons ethically as well as for maximum benefit. The guidelines in this wiki are not moderator enforceable in this forum. They are exactly what they say: guidelines. Now, I've been following this debate for a while and I've answered a few of you privately via PM, but here's the deal. As is mentioned more than a few times in the guidelines wiki, the wording on the coupon is of utmost importance. The wording is what we have to go by, and what we use to determine what is and is not 'fraud'. Posting about using a coupon for sausage links in a scenario to purchase sausage patties will be addressed. However, expecting a user to decode a coupon above and beyond the wording printed on it is quite excessive and beyond the scope of the duties for the moderators of this forum when it comes to enforcement. As for the barcodes, a member said to me the other day that "Cashiers don't get it, managers don't even get it. Nobody gets that there is a difference and special coding set up there - except us smarty pants who know that you can combine a coupon with an 01 B1G1 and not with an 14 B1G1." As I told that user, this is the key right here. Nobody gets it, save a select few. This is why we shouldn't delete such posts here, either. This is also the very reason behind the existence of the coupon usage guide, to be used to help new users understand how to use coupons more effectively, ethically, and for greater returns. By deleting posts discussing 01 vs. 14 usage as was done in the past, it did two things. 1. It did not foster a spirit of discussion and learning with new users, because 2. it created a hostile environment for new users when their posts were deleted and they received warnings for something that the overwhelming vast majority of them didn't even understand in the first place. Another member wrote to me, "I realize there's an influx of new couponers since that dreadful show that shall not be named first aired, but I don't think it means regular members of this board should start being allowed to "police" everyone and call out people to be frauds. Coupons should be enforced as they are written and as the stores they are being redeemed at allow. Nothing more. We as couponers should not be expected to learn how to "decode barcodes" and such. Besides...doing that is what leads people to learn how to use them in fraudulent ways to begin with. If a store of MF doesn't want their coupons used in a certain way it should be spelled out on the coupon and in the stores policies." This person is essentially correct. As I stated back in April, SD mods will not be enforcing store policy as to coupon acceptance. Too many stores have too varying policies, and quite frankly, those stores are not paying us to be their police. It does not serve our best interest to do so for free, either, as we simply do not have the manpower or training to do so. Additionally, as is written multiple times in the coupon usage guidelines wiki and as SD has been doing for years, coupon wording is what is important. What is written on the coupons is what we can enforce. What is written in the coupon rules is what we will enforce as SD moderators.

Thanks TR...great clarification!!!